Pitied
by Phoenix-Fire Power
Summary: Germany inwardly let out a shaky breath. She was staring at herself. Or rather what she would look like if she had been born a man. Her replacement.


**A/N: ****hey people!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: ****I own nothing.**

"You are trending on a very thin line." Hitler said.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Germany murmured.

"You have gone a bit too far with some things." he continued.

"Absolutely no idea." she murmured once more.

"If you renounce those friendships that you have with Japan and Italy I shall wipe your slate clean." Hitler said.

"You wish for me to break the alliance?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Not the alliance, no. as useless as they are there are some things they are able to do."

"Japan and Italy are my friends." Germany said. "I have no desire to break our friendship."

Her boss sneered. "Calling yourselves 'friends' with those inferior beings. Fine, you are nations and there are certain things. But…" he trailed off reaching for a folder on his desk to pull out a picture. "That does not excuse this."

Germany glanced at the picture to see herself at an anti-government rally.

"You are a traitor." he said simply.

"A nation is to the people." she said. "All of the people born on its land."

"However you are also mine." he said. "And you are to do as you are told. Not that it matters now."

"What do you mean?"

He smiled; it seemed worse and more terrifying than a frown or a snarl. I have known of your traitorous actions for a long time now. However I did nothing, do you know why?"

"No I don't."

"Because it was for the people. If they see you, their country, standing next to me. Listening to me. Saluting me. They will believe and follow my words more so than if you hadn't."

"So what changed?"

The smile widened as he walked to the door. "We are getting on the final path of perfection." He opened the door and called down the hallway.

Germany could hear someone walking down the hallway, their booted feet making clanking noises that filled to the very corners of the walls. Her boss stepped to the side to allow the newcomer to enter the room.

Germany inwardly let out a shaky breath. She was staring at herself.

Or rather what she would look like if she had been born a man.

"This." Hitler said. "Is your replacement."

"I can see that." she said curtly.

Ice blue eyes met ice blue eyes.

They looked exactly the same. His hair was shorter, shoulders were broader, and obviously he didn't need to bind his chest. He was smirking at her.

"What do you wish for me to do with her sir." he asked.

"Take her where all the traitors are." Hitler said. "Let her suffer alongside the inferior."

When he moved to her side she started to walk.

"I offer no resistance." she told him before leaving the room.

She could feel him following her closely. Louise tried to take calming breaths in order to stop her shaking hands.

Luck was on her side. Her brother was walking down the hallway. His face brightened when he saw her before turning to confusion when his eyes landed on the man beside her.

"West, everything alright?" he asked coming up to her. His eyes went to the man at her side again.

Louise managed to smile and thankfully her voice was steady as she said "Everything is just fine brother. I am simply being sent somewhere."

"Where?" Prussia demanded. She knew that he was mentally going through people that had 'been sent somewhere' and never returned.

Louise's smile wavered slightly, enough for Prussia to see. "They didn't tell me where exactly just yet."

Prussia's fist curled into a tight fist as he glanced at the man again.

Louise's hands went to the clasp around her neck for the iron cross her brother had given her when she had been a child. Pulling the necklace off her neck she pressed it into Prussia's hand.

"Keep this safe for me until I come back." she said.

Prussia nodded and then without warning he placed his arms around his sister. Louise returned the embrace tightly as she buried her face in the cook of his neck.

Growing impatient the man grabbed Louise by the arm and pulled her away from her brother.

Louise smiled once more at her brother who smiled back in return. However neither she nor her brother turned fast enough for either one to miss the crumbling expression on their faces and the tears that were gathering in their eyes.

* * *

><p>"So you are a traitor and you read forbidden books." he said. He tried to make a sneer however it turned more into a pout.<p>

Louise rolled her eyes. "This is one of my favorite books; I am not going to stop reading something because one man tells not to."

"That man is our boss and is the one that will bring us to paradise." he said.

Louise felt nearly naked without the comforting weight of her iron cross against her chest. "But at what cost?"

"The vermin that we are getting rid of." he started.

"Not only those people." Louise interrupted. "Our own as well. If you are truly my replacement then you should feel those deaths as well."

The man didn't say anything as he watched her. Louise shook her head before she reopened her book and started where she had left off.

"What is your name?" he suddenly asked.

Without taking her eyes off the page she said "Louise. Politeness and not desire prompts me to ask yours."

"Ludwig." he said proudly.

Louise took no attention of him as she turned a page.

Ludwig was tapping his foot against the ground as he continued to stare at her.

"Why?" he finally asked.

"Why what?"

"Why would you, a perfect German woman, accept the label of traitor? Do you know where you are going? Or what is going to happen?" the tone of his voice had been borderline hysteria by the end.

Still without looking from her book she said "I know where I am being sent and no, I don't know what is going to happen."

"And the traitor part?"

"Quite a few of the people you deem inferior were born on my lands. They are as much of my children as the ones you say are superior." Louise said. "We are for the people. All of them."

Ludwig was silent as he turned to look through the window.

"Out of simple curiosity." she said. "Exactly how old are you?"

Ludwig blushed lightly. "I will have reached eight years in a few months."

Louise nodded as she kept her eyes on the words in front of her.

"Prussia." he suddenly said. "And Austria. They are your brothers."

"Your point being?"

"What are they to me?"

Louise allowed a smirk, a proper one not the attempt Ludwig had made, to appear on her face. "Absolutely nothing."

Ludwig flinched slightly before he asked "Why are you friends with Japan and Italy?"

"Why does anyone form friendships with others?" Louise asked in return. "I trust, admire and respect the both of them, perhaps I admire and respect Japan a bit more than Italy however I trust Italy a bit more than Japan."

"They are not perfect beings like us." Ludwig objected.

"Who are we, who is anyone, to decide who is perfect or not?" Louise asked rhetorically. "I suppose it is my turn to ask a question. Why the comfortable transportation?" she asked waving her had around the compartment.

"A last gift, to say goodbye to the previous Germany and to fully welcome the new Germany." Ludwig said quietly.

Louise chuckled lightly. "It won't work."

Ludwig straightened. "What do you mean?" he asked panic clear in his voice.

Louise paused for a moment to simply stare at him. In the beginning he had seemed as a force of power, someone to be afraid of. However now, despite his height and physical appearance, he looked all of his eight years.

A child who had since the day he was born been showered with words of 'perfection', 'superior', and 'wonderful' that when a single person calls him out he loses composure and belief.

"I pity you." she finally said.

Ludwig's eyes widened. "Pity? Why?"

Louise slowly picked up her book and returned to the place she left off. "Because, if history has shown us anything about our kind it tells us that your kind will not live for as long as we do."

"My kind?" Ludwig asked his hands shaking slightly.

Louise nodded. "Specific countries. My name of Germany although tough and shall be my name, for it was my first, until I die the name is loosely attached to me enough so that should my people change the name of the country my name changes alongside them."

"You however do not have that option. You name, Nazi Germany, is something unchangeable. The name is so specific that it will never change to adapt." she said. "The first personification is always the personification. Copies and fakes might appear however they are a cruel and far cry from the real one."

"Tell me, do you know any history? Napoleonic France and the Revolutionary war in France. The Civil War of America." she waited for Ludwig to nod before continuing. "Those are a few examples of when a copy had appeared and attempted to take the place of a personification. However they never managed to succeed."

"I'll be different." Ludwig said hoarsely. "I'll succeed."

Louise allowed another smirk to appear on her face. "We'll see."

"You and I are the same." he said quietly. "So why are Prussia and Austria not my brothers if they are yours?"

"Because they will never agree to it." Louise said. "My brothers will never be your brothers. My sister will never be your sister. My cousins will never be your cousins."

"What about you?" Ludwig asked almost desperately.

"What about me?"

"You…you are the closest person I have to a sister." he choked out. "We…we share the same blood running through our veins. We look the same. Twins, we're twins!" he exclaimed lightly before his voice fell to a whisper. "I don't want to be alone."

Louise stared at the man in front of her. If he would have looked like the child he was and didn't represent the hatred that has engulfed her entire land she might have attempted to comfort him slightly.

"The thing about being a personification." Louise said. "You need to get used to loneliness."

Ludwig shook his head. "I don't like being alone." his hands came up to clutch at his head. "When I'm alone, or there is silence, I…I can hear things. People screaming, pleading, dying. I can't take hearing them anymore."

"Ah." Louise said. "So you do feel and hear those people you deem inferior to you."

"But…why do I hear them?"

"You said so yourself. You and I are the same." Louise said. "So they are our people as well."

She glanced through the window and bit her lip. They were nearing their destination.

"Do you want to know why I pity you the most?" Louise suddenly asked.

Ludwig hesitantly nodded.

"Because you cannot, none of us can, choose what you are born into." she said, idly flipping through the pages of the book in search of her favorite part. "Because you were born into the being of Nazi Germany without being asked. You were born of strict beliefs which leave no room for your own identity. I do hate what you represent however I do not hate you personally."

"Why?" Ludwig whispered.

Louise looked up at Ludwig and for the first time she smiled. "Speaking as one personification to another, as short as your time might be, I understand, as do all personifications, about not having the freedom of choice."

"Regardless of what your birth is represented by. You have a small iota of freedom. To change a little something and claim it as your own." she continued. "Regardless of what your birth is represented by. There is redemption in the end."

The rest of the ride was in complete silence as Louise attempted to finish her book. The train came to a slow before stopping completely. Louise glanced through the window.

"'Work shall set you free.'" she read. "Interesting choice of words."

With a sigh she closed her book and placed it to the side. At that moment the compartment door opened to reveal two men in uniform.

"We'll take care of things from here." one of them said to Ludwig.

Ludwig nodded keeping his eyes on his lap where his hands were folded. He didn't seem to want to look at either Louise or the men.

"Well then." Louise said. "Goodbye Ludwig."

At that Ludwig did raise his head. "Goodbye and good luck sister."

Louise glanced at Ludwig over her shoulder. "I told you. I'm not your sister." she said before being led away.

The compartment door closed behind her loudly.

A few moments passed before the train began to move once more. Ludwig jumped to the window and glanced through it in a desperate attempt to catch one more look at her.

The train picked up speed and soon he couldn't see anything. Feeling slightly empty he sat back in his seat and stared at the empty seat that minutes ago had been occupied. Her book still sat there.

'_That's one of the forbidden books.'_

'_This is one of my favorite books.'_

'_They are as much of my children as the ones you say are inferior.'_

'_Who are we, who is anyone, to decide who is perfect or not?'_

'_I pity you.'_

'_Your kind will not live for as long as we do.'_

'_They will never agree to it.'_

'_You need to get used to loneliness.'_

'_I do hate what you represent however I do not hate you personally.'_

'_There is redemption in the end.'_

'_I told you, I'm not your sister.'_

Ludwig tried to take a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. He was perfect. He was superior. The ultimate country.

He was alone.

He let the breath out as he stared at the book. The light reflected the title at him.

'_Not having the freedom of choice.'_

'_You were born of strict beliefs which leave no room for your own identity.'_

She was a personification, which was for the people. Their beliefs, their views, them.

Her friendship with Japan and Italy. Her no hesitation to speak or act out, in any way little or big, against what she does not agree with.

'_I pity you.'_

From something as little as reading a book to as big as participating in a movement against the government.

'_You have a small iota of freedom. To change a little something and claim it as your own.'_

'_There is redemption in the end.'_

Ludwig swallowed the limp in his throat before he leaned and gently took the book.

Bringing it to him he slid his hand along the spine and gently touched the worn pages.

'_There is redemption in the end.'_

He swallowed again and leaned back in his seat. With shaking hands he opened the book and started to read.

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**

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**Until next time.**

**This is Phoenix-Fire Power over and out.**


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